WHAT ARE SKYLUV FIGURES?

The story begins in 2000, when the Japanese action figure company KAIYODO teamed up with anime merchandiser MOVIC to produce a high quality set of gumball prize figures based on AKAMATSU KEN'S super popular manga / anime LOVE HINA. The result was the K&M WATERLINE HINA series. The first line featured all 5 of the Hina girls in bust-like, half body figures scupted to seem as if they were partly submerged in water. 

The series was popular enough for K&M to try again in 2001, with the WATERLINE series 2. They continued the theme of a partly "submerged" sculpt, and the theme of this 2nd round was swimwear.
This time the series has a few extra enhancements. The heads were now all created around the same format of construction: 3 pieces: face, hair and the back of the head, would all snap together on almost universally compatible ball joints at the neck, allowing some interchangeability. It also spawned a much easier variant. By means of just an extra face piece, you could create 3 versions of Shinobu and 2 of Mutsumi.

Then Kaiyodo announced that they were to team up with the Japanese toy manufacturer Epoch to continue the Waterline series by creating full-bodied, fully compatible toys. Kaiyodo would provide sculpting, and Epoch the manufacturing. The collaborative effort was called the

"LOVE HINA SKYLUV PROJECT"

The project is divided into 3 parts, and 7 figures. In  order of their scheduled releases:

#1. Narusegawa Naru
#2. Aoyama Motoko
#3. Konno Mitsune (Kitsune)
#4. Maehara Shinobu
#5. Otohime Mutsumi
#6. Kaolla Suu and Sarah McDougle (2 pack)

They're scheduled to be released 2 at a time. So far #1 -#4 have been released. Each piece contains 1 semi-poseable figure (how poseable they are varies individually) and a wide assortment of relevant accessories. Japanese retail price is 2490yen each. #6 will be the exception; slightly more expensive, but it will include full figures of both Kaolla and Sarah.

Each figure has one common feature: The ball jointed neck and the 3 part interchangeable head that is fully compatible with the Waterline 2 series (Note: Waterline 1 is not compatible!). You can basically swap entire heads, faces and hairstyles.

 for some fun, check out the PHOTOSHOOT to see some examples of what can be done! Over 80 pictures in the gallery!

Or click on any of the portraits below (Actually the backing card of the packaging. Cool, huh?) for my review.

SELECT YOUR GIRL

 

24 / 04 / 2002